NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01) | PA 17 114

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 114

The grant opportunity titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-17-114) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary research grant that supports hypothesis-driven, multidisciplinary studies focused on Natural Killer (NK) cells and their potential role in preventing HIV infection. The central scientific aim is to deepen understanding of how NK cells contribute to early immune responses and immune regulation in ways that could be harnessed by HIV vaccines to produce protective immunity. In practical terms, the FOA is trying to push the field beyond general descriptions of innate immunity and toward specific, testable pathways and mechanisms that explain how NK cells might shape vaccine outcomes, influence the initial control of viral exposure, or contribute to immune features that resemble immunological memory.

A major emphasis of this opportunity is the concept that NK cells, traditionally categorized as innate immune cells, can display memory-like behaviors under certain conditions. The FOA encourages research that clarifies what "NK cell memory" looks like in the context of HIV vaccination or HIV exposure, how it is generated, how long it lasts, what signals sustain it, and whether it meaningfully improves resistance to infection or alters early events after exposure. Projects supported under this announcement would be expected to connect NK cell biology to vaccine-induced protection using strong experimental designs, modern immunology approaches, and clear mechanistic hypotheses, rather than purely descriptive profiling.

The FOA also highlights two secondary goals that shape what kinds of projects may be competitive. First, it explicitly encourages the development of novel technologies that make human immune monitoring in vaccine clinical trials more definitive. That can include improved assays, standardized platforms, better biomarkers, advanced single-cell or systems immunology tools, or new analytical frameworks that help interpret NK cell function and regulation in humans. The underlying idea is that if NK cells are going to be meaningfully evaluated as part of HIV vaccine development, the field needs more reliable and informative tools to measure NK cell states, functions, trafficking, interactions with other immune compartments, and correlates of protection in real-world clinical trial settings. Second, the FOA aims to recruit more innate immunologists into HIV vaccine research, signaling an interest in bringing expertise from broader NK cell and innate immunity communities into HIV-focused questions.

From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, this is an NIH R01 mechanism under the health-related funding activity category, associated with CFDA numbers 93.855 and 93.856. The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes many types of U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special district governments), independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. It also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where applicable), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly calls out a wide range of other eligible applicants and institution types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This breadth reflects NIH's intent to encourage diverse participation and to broaden the research community contributing to HIV vaccine and innate immunity discovery.

Key logistical details included in the source information are that the FOA was created on 2017-01-09, and an original closing date is listed as 2020-01-07. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is specified in the provided source data, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidelines for the relevant institute/center and submission cycle expectations. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted R01 announcement meant to accelerate mechanistic NK cell research with direct relevance to HIV vaccination, while also strengthening the methodological toolkit for immune monitoring in humans and expanding the pool of researchers working at the intersection of innate immunity and HIV vaccine development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NK Cells to Induce Immunological Memory to Prevent HIV Infection (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855, 93.856.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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